Improvement in gun-locks



F. WESSON.

Improvement in Gun Locks. No. 125,640.- j?! PatentedAFrilQJan.

W M ////////////A UNITED STATES FRANKLIN WESSON, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN, GUN-LOCKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 125,640, dated April 9, 1872.

Specification describing an Improved Hanimer for Fire-Arms, invented by FRANKLIN VESSON, of Worcester, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts.

The object of this invention is to enable both central and rim iire ammunition to be used in j the same fire-arm and beV eXloded by the same hammer; to this end it consists in the novel construction hereinafter specified of a movable nose-piece and novel arrangement of the same within the head ofthe hammer, whereby it may be adjusted so that its upper portion will effect the discharge ot' rim-tire ammunition, or so that its lower portion will effect the discharge of center-nre ammunition.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure lis a side View of a portion of a breech-loading fire-arm tted with my improved hammer. Fig. 2 is a partial section of the same cutting through a portion of the hammer and showing its nose-piece adjusted for rim-nre ammunition; and Fig. 3 is a similar view, showing the nosepiece adjusted for center-lire ammunition.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the gures.

The nre-arm represented has a stationary breech, D, and movable barrel E, but the improvement may be applied in connection with other kinds of breech-loaders. Through the upper part of the breech there is an opening,

a, for the nose of the ham-mer to strike directly upon the rim of a rim-fire cartridge, and opposite the center ofthe barrel there is inserted through the breech-piece a firing-pin, b, upon which the nose-piece of the hammer may strike to iire a center-fire cartridge. A is the hammer, which is pivoted and operated in the usual manner, but instead of having a solid head has the upper and front part of its head mortised, as shown at e, for the reception of the nose-piece B. This nose-piece consists of a iiat piece of steel, having at the front of its upper portion a projecting nose, c, similar to that on the hammer of many fire-arms in which rim-fire cartridges are used, and just below this nose it is pivoted into a mort-ise, e, of the hammer, by a pin or screw, C, passing through it and the hammer. Below the pivot C there is in the front edge of this nose-piece a recess, f, so arranged as to come opposite the ring-pin b,

and in its lower portion there are two holes, i i, one before the other, for .the reception of a locking-screw, S, which passes through the hammer and one or the other of the said holes to secure the nose-piece in position.

To adj ust the nose-piece B for rim-re ammunition the forward of its two holes t' i is brought opposite the corresponding hole in the hammer, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and the locking-screw or pin s inserted through the hammer andnose-piece, locking the latter with the point of its nose c so far forward and so depressed, and with the recessed lower portion f so far back, that in the action of the hammer the nose e will strike the rim of a rim-fire cartridge with which the nre-arm is loaded, but the lower portion of the nose-piece will not strike the firing-pin.

To adjust the nose-piece to operate the firingpin the loeking-screwis removed from the hammer and nose-piece and the nose-piece is shifted to bring the rear hole t' opposite the correspondin g hole in the hammer and the lockingscrew is then reinserted and secures the nosepiece in such a position that its nose c is too high and far back to come in contact with the 'rim ofthe cartridge. The lower recessedportion f will come in contact with the firing-pin and operate it, thereby effecting the discharge of the cartridge.

In the front of the hammer-head there is a recess corresponding with the recess f in the nose-piece.

The projection c on the nose-piece passing through the breech D may be dispensed with and an additional pin, like b, may be arranged above the latter for ring rim-fre cartridges, such additional pin being operated upon by the upper part of the movable posepin B.

as herein described.

FRANKLIN WESSON.

Witnesses EDWARD IRWIN, WVM. MCGRATH. 

